Newcastle is the cultural and commercial capital of the North East; something which is evident from its ever-growing population of urban and professional residents.

The new generation of city dwellers are demanding more and more from their residences, aiming to seamlessly blend their working and social lives, as well as incorporate leisure activities from one convenient base.

In response to this demand, Surrenden Invest is proud to present the brand-new development, Hadrian’s Tower which showcases the very best in contemporary residential accommodation available today in Newcastle.

Designed and built by respected financial and property group The High Street Group, it is set to become the most sought after residential address in Newcastle.

Hadrian’s Tower will offer world-class living, of a standard not previously seen in the North East of England; that’s 26 storeys of prime, luxurious living right in the heart of the city, just off St. James’ Boulevard.

With such a superb location and quality build, Hadrian’s Tower shows that the sky’s the limit for residential accommodation in Newcastle!

The tower has been designed with residents’ every convenience in mind. The 165 one-and two-bedroom apartments are complemented by outstanding shared facilities and social areas. There is a launderette and a cafe with adjacent meeting spaces and a Sky Lounge offering a laid-back venue for rest, relaxation and entertaining with panoramic sights over the city centre.

Individual homes will be spacious, bright and airy, with twin-aspect views from almost all apartments.

The service offering is just as premium as the accommodation; with an on-site concierge, cleaning services, maintenance, resident support, Wi-Fi and high-speed broadband.

“Hadrian’s Tower offers a capital-city lifestyle in an outstanding Newcastle location, making it one of the most exciting living and investment propositions available in the UK this year.”

The structure, which is set to become Newcastle’s tallest building is to be showcased at one of the world’s largest property events, MIPIM in Cannes next month (March 2018). The 28th annual conference attracts the most influential players from all sectors of the international property industry.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for the North East, Newcastle, and our group to demonstrate the quality of property development projects taking place here and what attractive investment opportunities there are to be had.”

Gary Forrest, Chairman, The High Street Group

Hadrian’s Tower enjoys not only a premium city centre location but proximity to Newcastle’s Regeneration Zone, meaning that residents have direct access to the business and leisure facilities of this thriving city.

Chinatown, St James’ Park and the O2 Academy are just a short walk away, while The Gate entertainment complex, Intu Eldon Square shopping mall and the Theatre Royal are all easily reachable.

Central Station is just 10 minutes’ walk from Hadrian’s Tower, ensuring that residents can benefit from superb connectivity via a primary rail connection.

Regeneration work in Newcastle is adding to the city’s already-impressive residential, commercial and cultural offering and the region is recognised as the commercial and educational focus of North East England – along with Gateshead, which sits opposite it across the River Tyne.

Newcastle enjoys one of the fastest economic growth rates of any city in the UK. In the five years to 2015, Newcastle’s total GVA grew by 18.5% – the third fastest rate in the UK and property values in the city have risen by 24.78% over the past five years.

Hadrian’s Tower offers an exceptional investment opportunity, with 5% interest on all exchange money throughout the 18-month build phase. Hadrian’s Tower provides 7% NET RG after five years, with completion scheduled for Q4 2019/Q1 2020.

This unique offering means that investors can benefit from a superb financial structure, as well as an outstanding development.

Liverpool has been on the radar as a city for property investment for many years. So, what is the secret to the city’s lasting investment credentials? Having just chosen Liverpool as the location for its first non-London office, specialist end-to-end property investment company Surrenden Invest, was keen to share its knowledge of the local market.

Sales Director Joanne McCormack reveals all…

Where is the Liverpool property investment market at today?Liverpool has a buoyant market right now when it comes to residential investment opportunities. Government figures show that the city built an average of 713 homes per year between April 2009 and March 2016. However, the Home Builders Federation has estimated that the city needs to build 3,000 homes annually to keep up with demand. This has led to demand far outstripping supply, particularly considering the trend over the past decade for people to move into the city centre.
One consequence of this is rising rents. Rents rose by 4.4% across the North West in 2016. Home values have also been rising, with an increase of 22.7% across Liverpool over the past five years. Apartment prices have risen even more – by 25.2% over the same period.

What makes Liverpool an investment-grade destination?Liverpool has an incredible amount going for it. As well as a thriving property investment market, the Liverpool City Region economy is performing well. It is leading the Northern Powerhouse area in terms of GVA growth per capita, as well as overall GVA growth. The city has a largely service-based economy, which was worth £29.5 billion in 2015. Added to that is the fact that Liverpool enjoyed a 56% growth rate for its fast-growing businesses between 2009 and 2015 – the highest rate in the UK.
The city is also investing a great deal in its future, with £900 million available to the city’s metro mayor over next 30 years. The SuperPort Action Plan alone, which covers the period from 2011 to 2020, will add £18.3 billion of additional GVA by 2030.

There has been talk of Liverpool becoming oversupplied with property, from your experience on the ground, do you feel this is the case?Definitely not – we wouldn’t have opened an office here if that was the case!
Liverpool’s population increased from 435,500 in 2001 to 466,400 in 2011. Over the same period, 22 to 29-year-olds in the city centre increased fourfold, while the overall city centre population increase stood at 160%. This new trend for living in the city centre has led to a huge increase in demand for rental properties. Developers are racing to keep up, rather than creating an oversupply.

Which parts of the city are seeing greatest investor interest at present and why?Investors are keen to be involved in several areas of central Liverpool. The waterfront Albert Dock area remains popular, while the Ten Streets area is one of the latest locations to capture investors’ interest. Ten Streets is particularly exciting as it’s undergoing a 15-20-year strategic overhaul that is focusing on building a new ‘creativity district.’ This will bring lasting, long-term benefits to Liverpool and investors are keen to be a part of that.

What is the typical property that buy-to-let investors are looking for?There are a number of general characteristics that buy to let investors in Liverpool are seeking. Off-plan homes remain popular, though there is also a market for completed properties. Location-wise, the city centre and key regeneration areas are top of the list. Investors are also looking for a good blend of reasonable entry point in terms of price, but high end in terms of design and finish – there’s definitely a ‘Liverpool look’ that is winning investors over.

Liverpool has traditionally seen many overseas investors buying property in the city, is this trend still occurring today?Yes, Liverpool remains popular with overseas investors. The Liverpool LEP is second in England for its foreign direct investment strategy according to fDi Magazine. It also ranks joint second in the list of top ten mid-sized European cities of the future 2016/17 and fourth out of all mid-sized European cities for its business friendliness. Combined with the city’s bustling property market and growing population, these factors mean that Liverpool remains popular with overseas investors.

Where are these overseas investors from and where and what are they buying?We’re seeing significant interest from overseas buyers into Liverpool from Hong Kong and China together with the Middle East. City Centre locations aside, typically for end users we are seeing the greatest interest from an investment standpoint around the Ten Streets regeneration area to the North and the Baltic Triangle area to the south of the City Centre

Tens of millions of pounds have been pumped into the regeneration of Liverpool. As a local resident, do you feel this has had an overall positive effect?The money pouring into Liverpool has benefited residents. As well as infrastructure development projects, the city has benefited from enhanced cultural attractions and new business/leisure areas. These have not only created new jobs for residents, but also added to the city’s entertainment options.

How do you feel the Ten Streets regeneration project will benefit Liverpool?The Ten Streets regeneration is a ambitious project covering 125 acres of former docklands. It’s going to benefit the city in several ways. The scheme is due to create around 2,500 job opportunities, which is obviously good news for residents. The aim to create a ‘creativity district’ will also give this part of the city its own distinctive character and create a legacy that will benefit future generations of Liverpool residents and workers through a diverse range of facilities. It’s a exciting project.

In terms of Liverpool’s economy, as part of the Northern Powerhouse, the city’s success is strategically important to the overall UK economy. Do you feel that the local economy has picked up?As I mentioned earlier, the Liverpool City Region economy is at the forefront of the Northern Powerhouse area in terms of both GVA growth per capita and overall GVA growth. The economic pickup has been most clearly notable in terms of job growth.
Liverpool is reviving after years of decline with the city’s population growing as it gains a reputation as an economic magnet that can attract investors. Over the past decade some £5bn of investment has transformed the centre of Liverpool leading to excellent growth prospects as one of the UK’s best performing markets. The private sector is creating jobs at a faster rate than before the recession with big companies such as Deutsche Bank, Jaguar Land Rover & Unilever all moving large parts of their operation into the area

Do you feel that there are enough new jobs being created in the city?In the five years to 2015, Liverpool reported the largest job growth in the UK, at 55% (alongside Manchester). Meanwhile, job vacancies in the city surged by 34.8% in Q1 2016, which meant that Liverpool had the strongest year-on-year job growth in the country. With schemes like the Ten Street regeneration and the SuperPort Action Plan adding thousands more jobs, there are plenty of new jobs being created here!

There has been much talk of late of people, especially young professionals, moving out from London to other parts of the UK. Why do you feel Liverpool is an attractive destination for migrants from London?Liverpool offers a vast array of cultural attractions and leisure pursuits, as well as business opportunities. It does all this at a fraction of the cost of living in London, which is why so many people are trading life in the capital for a future in Liverpool. Liverpool’s fabulous night life and outstanding restaurant scene add to its superb arts scene and thriving property market. The affordability of property here – certainly when compared with London property prices and rents – is a huge draw.

What is your outlook on the Liverpool property market in 2018?I’m excited about the future of the Liverpool property market, particularly as we move into 2018. JLL has projected house price rises of 2.5% per annum across the UK for the next five years and Liverpool tends to be ahead of the curve when it comes to increases in value, so the city’s housing market looks to have a very promising ahead!

In 1899 three brothers named Boston founded the Garston Tanning Company in Liverpool’s Garston, Merseyside.

The company would provide leather hides for the automotive, furniture, shoe and fancy leather goods industries. The family-run business opened its processing factory on Garston’s King Street and over the next 100 years employed generations of local families.

In its heyday, Garston’s Tanning Company was one the largest producers of leather upholstery for the European car trade and one of the most important leather goods producers in the UK, handling about 12,000 hides per week. In 1971 Garston’s installed one of the largest tannery drums in the world on its factory floor.

In the late 1970s jobs began to dwindle as foreign manufacturers took up the lion’s share of available raw materials. In 1999 Scottish Leather bought Garston’s, and seven years later the tannery on Kings Street was finally closed due to a downturn in sales, thus ending over 100 years of tradition and dedicated family craftsmanship.

The old tannery site stood derelict for the next decade until it was taken over by developer the Vinco Group to be transformed into 106 residential studio apartments, 136 one-bed and 139 two-bed apartments which comprise the luxury site today.

The Tannery, exclusively available from investment agency Surrenden Invest, enjoys a prime position in Liverpool’s L3 postcode area to the north of the city centre. It is just 1.1 miles from the 125-acre Ten Streets regeneration project, which is set to create some 2,500 jobs, as well as being close to the £150m Great Homer Street regeneration scheme (known as the Jennifer Project), with its flagship new Sainsbury’s superstore and extensive retail offering.

This historic, once industrial part of town is rapidly becoming one of the most desirable and trendy investment locations in Liverpool, with The Tannery standing out as an iconic building on one of the most covetable roads in the city.

The building’s design draws from the site’s history as a tannery. Folded aluminium panels resemble the hanged leather that the site’s original building once housed, while horizontal breaks in the façade represent the leather press.

“We are delighted to be able to offer our clients a brand-new opportunity which far surpasses anything else previously available in the Liverpool area. This project delivers the design, specification and quality formerly limited to large capital cities such as London. Not only that, but we are very proud to have been able to contribute to the bringing back to life of an important corner of the city which has a fascinating socio-cultural history.”

Apartments at The Tannery will offer bright, contemporary residences that blend spacious, private accommodation with extremely well designed communal areas and amenities. Facilities such as 24hr concierge, on-site gym, laundry facilities and underground secure parking are just some of the comforts which come as standard. Impressive views over the city centre complement modern interiors, designed to offer both comfort and contemporary appeal to urban residents.

Liverpool itself is packed with attractions which have contributed to its ranking as one of the UK’s top 5 visitor destinations. The city has also been enjoying sustained property price rises, with data from Zoopla showing an increase in home values of 5.52% over the past year and of 28.35% over the past five years.

Prices at The Tannery start from £85,000 with net rental yields estimated at 6.0%.

Jonathan Stephens, Managing Director of Surrenden Invest, started out with a very different vision for his future.

From a young age, Jonathan showed a keen interest and skill in professional equestrianism. He had thought this would be his lifelong career, but injury meant this wasn’t to be the case. Instead, Jonathan directed all his competitive spirit and drive to succeed into a career in the property investment sector.

From his first role in property investment in 2007, Jonathan worked his way up and gained vast experience within the industry before attaining all the skills required to open a consultancy of his own, Surrenden Invest, in 2015.

Three years later, Surrenden Invest enjoys a superb track record of working with some of the largest developers and housebuilders in the UK. It has established numerous professional partnerships and relationships to present its valued clients with off-market investment deals that would typically only be obtainable to institutional investors. This is one of the many reasons that Surrenden Invest has become the ‘go to’ consultancy for UK property investment.

Surrenden Invest offers a rounded approach to property investment, allowing its investors to entrust the day-to-day running of their portfolio to the in-house management team, which is comprised of a mixture of financial and property professionals. For those investors who prefer to do it themselves, they too can benefit from the advice and experience of the multi-talented team.

Over the three years since its foundation, Surrenden Invest has launched 38 developments, in 9 towns and cities in the UK. 20 of these have already been delivered, while the remaining 18 are on track to complete, on time, over the coming 18 months.

Such is the demand for Surrenden Invest’s services and investment opportunities that the company has already expanded from its London headquarters to open a secondary office in Liverpool’s financial district. Opened in October 2017, the Surrenden Invest Liverpool office takes the full staff complement up to 29.

The opening of the Liverpool office precedes that of the Manchester office, which will open its doors in early 2018. The local presence allows Surrenden Invest to deliver national services based around local knowledge. It is this divergence from a ‘one size fits all’ approach that has contributed to the company’s rapid and resounding success.

“Expanding Surrenden Invest is a necessity. I am proud to say that the company has grown more than I could have even imagined over the last two years. This is down to the hard work that the Surrenden Invest team put in to ensuring we give our clients and development partners the very best service at every stage of the process, from pre-purchase through to completion.The opening of the new office in Liverpool is extremely exciting. We selected the financial district due to its central, prime business location. This enables us to enjoy even closer relationships with both our clients and partners alike. With the Manchester office due to open shortly, the outlook for 2018 is very exciting for Surrenden Invest.”

Investing in a hotel room isn’t a new concept. For decades, institutional investors have been purchasing hotel rooms around the world, leasing them back to paying guests and enjoying the lucrative income.

What is new however, is that thanks to a new breed of investment firms such as Surrenden Invest, private individuals are now also able to access the so called “beds-sector” and the market is booming.

When priced out of mainstream sectors and looking for higher yields than traditional property asset classes such as residential property, offices and retail can offer, savvy investors know that there are numerous appeals to investing in alternative property such as hotel rooms.

“Given the cyclical nature of the property sector, adding an alternative asset class to an investment portfolio provides the benefit of countering dips on the mainstream side, such as traditional buy-to-let. The hands-off and hassle-free aspects of room ownership are highly appealing, hotel room investors can sit back and relax whilst the management team market, manage and maintain the room.”

Hotel rooms offer a lower entry price and lower risk profile compared to traditional property investment, along with immediate income from the date of purchase. Buy Back-schemes, which are in place in many hotel room investments offer a guaranteed exit when the lease ends.

Overall, there is confidence in the UK hotel sector, performing well in 2017 and mirroring property investment in general; a weakened sterling, growth in staycations and improved infrastructure development all contributed to investments in built assets exceeding those of 2016.

Looking ahead to 2018 and the outlook is equally bright. CBRE’s 2018 Market Outlook expects the UK property sector to continue to perform solidly, with the beds sector, which includes hotels, weathering any uncertainty well.

“While some property sectors will see extremely patchy growth performance, the rise of Industrials & Logistics looks likely to continue and the ‘beds sectors’ such as hotels, built-to-rent and healthcare are also set to grow strongly.”

Miles Gibson, Head of UK Research at CBRE

Looking to the regions, JLL have forecast year-on-year regional hotel occupancy growth of 0.3% in 2018, whilst PwC anticipate a further 2.3% RevPAR growth for the UK regional sector in 2018 with an expected 12,000 new hotel rooms coming on stream during the year.

Another key driver which made its presence known in 2017 and will continue to do so in 2018 is inbound tourism to the UK. Visit Britain’s inbound visitor forecast for 2018 is at 41.7 million visits, an increase of 4.4% on 2017 levels and a total spend of £26.9 billion

The latest opportunity provided by Surrenden Invest is the Whitley Bay Hotel; an exclusive 32-bedroom hotel located in an excellent position in Whitley Bay, Tyne & Wear, just a short walk from the town centre and its award-winning Blue Flag beaches.

The hotel is just 25 minutes to Newcastle city centre by Metro, 30 minutes to Newcastle International Airport and 10 minutes from the International Cruise Terminal by car. Durham and a variety of tourist locations in Northumberland can also be reached in under 50 minutes.

The hotel offers guests an enhanced budget-boutique package, rivalling that of standard budget hotel groups such as Travelodge or Premier Inn. Guests will find rooms furnished to a higher-than-average standard with en-suite facilities and extremely comfortable beds. A personal level of service ensures each guest receives a warm welcome and a wonderful stay thus delivering a 70% rebooking rate.

Renovated at a cost of £1.25 million in 2017 Whitley Bay Hotel has seen occupancy levels increase month on month. The average hotel occupancy rates in the North East of England is 75%, in the 3 months from July – September of last year Whitley Bay Hotel achieved an average occupancy rate of 83.8%.

Investors in the Whitley Bay hotel will receive an immediate guaranteed yield from day 1 for up to 10 years with a guaranteed Buy Back offer at 110%, backed up and securitised by the High Street Group of Companies. An investment of £70, 000 is required for an income of £59,000 net and an ROI of 94%.

Whitley Bay town itself has grown to 36,000 people and has become increasingly popular with visitors. It comes alive at weekends and bank holidays, when young and old alike enjoy the local amenities including restaurants, bars and nightlife.

A decade ago, in 2007, North Tyneside Council announced a £36 million regeneration plan for the coast at Whitley Bay. This has included, among other projects, the regeneration the Spanish City site with its iconic dome, completed in 1912. The dome is expected to reopen summer 2018 complete with fine dining seafood restaurant, champagne and oyster bar, a tearoom, fish and chip restaurant and ice-cream parlour.

With 2018 now upon us, anyone thinking about investing in bricks and mortar wants to know what’s going to happen over the next 12 months. Will prices continue to edge up, stabilise or dip down? Where is best to invest? Does buy-to-let still stack up?

Jonathan Stephens, Founder and MD of expert property investment agency, Surrenden Invest, which has helped 700 clients invest in UK bricks and mortar over the past 2 years, shares his 5 predictions for the UK property market in 2018:

Manchester will remain robust with city centre fringe redevelopment schemes offering the best opportunities. Manchester is tipped for rapid growth over the years ahead. Its population is projected to expand by 20% by 2025, reaching 625,000 residents, according to city analysts. Such a rapid turnaround in population size is never easy for city planners to address and Manchester is estimated to be around 40,000 homes behind the number it needs, with demand continuing to put pressure on supply. Pressure on city centre land remains incredibly high thus it is to the outer fringes of the city that tenants are moving to, taking advantage of more affordable housing. With property prices significantly less than city centre sites, this is where buy-to-let investors need to be looking when it comes to Manchester.

Birmingham will continue to be one of the strongest buy-to-let markets in the country. Oft overlooked, the UK’s second city (by population), Birmingham, has a great deal to tempt buy-to-let investors in 2018. Birmingham’s youthful population and the huge number of graduates that the city produces every year has created an excellent environment for entrepreneurship. One part of the city in particular, Digbeth, has become a hotspot for new businesses and cultural activities, attracting large number of young professional residents. We will see Digbeth, just 10 minutes from New Street Station booming with gentrification this year and so now is the time to buy before prices soar.

Liverpool will continue to offer low price points and strong growth potential. 10 years on from being announced as the European Capital of Culture, the city has gone from strength to strength. Liverpool has a thriving, service-based economy, which was worth £29.5 billion in 2015 and the city is leading the UK’s Northern Powerhouse region in terms of its overall GVA growth and its growth of GVA per capita. Economic output will continue to improve with the likes of Cunard Shipping bringing a large share of their operation back to where it all began in 2018. A growing population and plenty of blossoming talent, backed by strong economic credentials and a buoyant housing market make for an ideal environment for opportunity, boosting Liverpool up the list of cities to watch most closely in the UK over the coming year.

London will remain slow with some prominent city centre locations seeing prices drop. Anyone who lives in London, or indeed reads the papers, will know that the capital slowed in 2017 and whilst the long-term outlook for one of the world’s top real estate markets remains optimistic, the impact of slowing prices will be felt especially if we see further interest rate increases. However undervalued pockets will continue to offer irresistible opportunities especially locations set to benefit from Crossrail due to open later this year.

Newcastle will be the dark horse of 2018. Newcastle and its twin city, Gateshead, has been quietly waiting in the wings, growing in population and economically, over the last couple of years. 2018 will be the north-east city’s time to shine as a higher than average economic activity rate, rising property prices and significant local investment mean that Newcastle is becoming something of a favourite with businesses and investors alike. Surrenden Invest has taken up options on several sites and predict big things for buy-to-let investors in this hidden gem.

Top property investment agency Surrenden Invest has enjoyed spectacular demand for its exclusive, end-to-end services during 2017, cementing an impressive track record since its foundation in 2015. As part of 2017’s success story, Founder and MD Jonathan Stephens expanded from his London headquarters to open a secondary office in Liverpool’s financial district.

Highly experienced residential property expert and Liverpudlian Joanne McCormack is heading up the brand-new office, which is located in the heart of Liverpool’s financial district at 20 Chapel Street.

Bringing 12 years of experience in the valuation and appraisal of residential property, as well as an impeccable track record in sales – including 13 developments 100% sold out, amounting to 2,000 units across the UK – Joanne has been handpicked to represent Surrenden Invest in the North. An experienced manager, Joanne operated a flagship estate agency and led a team of 14 to great success. Her focus for the last eight years has been on selling off-plan property, as well as the purpose built student accommodation sector, equipping her perfectly to meet the needs of Surrenden Invest’s client base.

“Surrenden Invest has positioned itself in Liverpool with a long-term view. We see huge growth potential for our investors to take advantage of the regeneration and gentrification underway across the city. We have seen how well major northern cities can perform with our extensive portfolio of investment opportunities in Manchester and now recognise that same potential in Liverpool. Now open, the Surrenden Invest Liverpool office will be the base for a team of new staff members and enable clients based in the North to visit the team with ease should they wish to”.

Joanne McCormack, Sales Director, Surrenden Invest

Joining Joanne in the new office will be Amy Lawless. Amy has supported and assisted Joanne in all aspects of the purchase and sale of units over the past four years. She is responsible for all communications, support, advice and overall client management.

Having to manage a large client portfolio spread all over the world, Amy’s strong organisational skills and extensive property knowledge have enabled her to build and develop exceptional rapport with clients, allowing them to feel confidant and secure in all their property dealings. This is precisely in line with the Surrenden Invest ethos, which sees the company delivering a fully supportive service, from pre-purchase through to exchange and completion.

“I’m delighted to have opened Surrenden Invest’s first regional office in Liverpool during 2017. A local base allows us to better tap in to regional knowledge and expertise, while continuting to deliver a national and international property investment service. We plan to continue this approach during 2018 with the opening of a new regional office in Manchester – watch this space for further details!”

Jonathan Stephens, MD, Surrenden Invest

For more information, you can visit Joanne and the team at new office at 20 Chapel Street, Liverpool, L3 9AG, call 0151 347 7459 or go to www.surrendeninvest.com

M16 postcode out-performing rest of city with 4.46% growth in 12 months (Zoopla)

New Kinetic development providing investors with way into Old Trafford (Surrenden Invest)

Manchester United FC is known for being one of the best football teams in the world. The club’s status and plentiful funding means that it has the pick of players, coaches and managers from across the globe. Football fans appreciate they heritage of Old Trafford as a venue, but now it seems that a new kind of international interest is being stirred up in this hotbed of sporting activity.

“Old Trafford has an unbreakable connection with football, but there’s actually a lot more to the area than sport alone. Those living there enjoy easy access to Manchester city centre, Media City, White City Retail Park and the University Quarter. The mixture of local amenities and proximity to key areas of the city is causing investors to take a much closer look at Old Trafford.”

The interest from investors is supported by data from a range of sources. pwc has just highlighted Manchester as the UK’s top city investment prospect in its Emerging Trends in Real Estate Europe 2018 report, while figures from Zoopla pinpoint the M16 postcode area as enjoying property price rises above the overall level for the city – 4.46% for M16 compared to 4.22% for Manchester as a whole over the past year.

Against this exciting investment backdrop, property investment specialists Surrenden Invest have just announced the launch of the superb new Kinetic development.

With 48 apartments designed for modern, professional tenants, the building offers both investors and residents the chance to be a part of one of Manchester’s most exciting locations. The apartments have been shaped to the needs of contemporary urban residents, from their elegant, Italian-designed kitchens, to their sleek, stylish interiors.

Not only have the apartments been designed to suit professional tenants, but they have also been created with university students in mind. Just moments from Kinetic, Lancaster University is opening a brand new campus for 6,500 students from September 2019. Students with a taster for refined living will no doubt be delighted by Kinetic, while Kinetic residents will benefit from use of the new campus leisure centre.

“Old Trafford is still up and coming in terms of its investment credentials, so Kinetic offers a particularly exciting opportunity for investors who like to be at the forefront of an area’s growth (and reap the financial rewards that doing so entails). The creation of the new university campus, as well as the existing attractions of the Old Trafford location, mean that this development has been conceived not just with an eye on the present but also with future considerations taken into account.”

Investors now far more clued up on basic property investment principles

Enquiry to investment period reduced to just 5 days on average

Media coverage and sector maturation responsible

Specialist end-to-end property investment company Surrenden Invest has revealed a shift in the nature of its clients, which it believes represents the next phase of the property investment sector’s evolution.

“Clients used to start out by asking us basic questions about property investment. Now, however, investors are coming to us already clued up about the basics. There’s been a notable shift in terms of the average investor’s knowledge base – contemporary investors have done their homework and know what they want. They’ve already taken the time to learn the basics before they speak to an investment company.”

This new trend means that investors are more focused on getting guidance on the opportunities available as soon as they engage with a property investment company. They know the kind of investment that they want and are ready to drill down into the detail of what the market currently has to meet their requirements.

In addition, they’re seeking information on how best to invest and which issues to watch out for with specific projects. They already know, for example, about the merits of investing in Birmingham and the value of a prime city centre location. Now, it’s more a case of advising whether the charms of the apartments at (for example) B5 Southside outweigh those of Moseley Gardens, or vice versa.

Such a shift in investor knowledge has inevitably impacted on the speed at which decisions and investments are made. Investors have picked up the pace, with Surrenden Invest reporting that the average investor now takes just five days to go from an initial enquiry to an investment. Previously, the process could take several weeks, and sometimes even longer.

“The change in investors’ behaviour and the speed at which they now want to invest means that property investment companies need to be at the top of their game in order to satisfy the needs of these seriously savvy investors. There’s little small talk any more – investors want to invest fast and expect the information that they demand to be provided instantly in order to facilitate that. It’s an invigorating time to be involved in property investment!”

A number of factors are behind property investors’ evolving knowledge. The significant media interest in buy-to-let investment over the past few years has played a role, as has media coverage of ‘newer’ types of investment, such as hotel investment. A far broader swathe of information is available online. Property investment used to seem like something of a dark art to the uninitiated, but the proliferation of insightful, information-packed websites and blogs has enabled anyone with an interest to learn the ropes.

The result is that investors want to move faster. They are more decisive and less interested in debating whether or not they might want to invest. Instead, they just need guidance on where the best deals to suit their individual needs are to be found.

“It’s great to be part of the industry’s evolution and to work with investors who are so driven to make property investment work for them. The industry is maturing around us and property investment companies need to keep up with the new pace in order to meet modern client’s demands. Those that find themselves behind the curve have some serious catching up to do.”

A keen motorsports fan and amateur driver himself, it was an easy decision for Jonathan to make and he is relishing in the fact that he can now attend and support Nick on a regular basis.

“After starting Surrenden Invest at a young age, I understand the struggles of going out there alone and fighting for your position amongst other contenders, that is why I am keen to support others doing the same in whatever field they choose. Nick is a great guy with heaps of potential and I am thrilled to be part of his journey”.

Born in Stafford, Nick Yelloly started his racing career by competing in karts at the age of 15. He made his debut in 2005, working his way from Junior TKM Intermediate to ICA and finally the Super 1 International KF1 Championships in 2008 where he finished eighth.

Currently lying second in the 2017 Porsche Carrera Cup after grabbing a win and second place in the last race at Norisring in Germany, Nick is speeding to great successes.

Currently lying 2nd in the Carrera Cup Germany Championship in after winning then finishing second in the last race at Norisring in Germany

Last weekend Jonathan attended the F1 demonstration at the Silverstone Classic. Nick drove the Williams Racing FW14b World Championship winning car of Nigel Mansell where he displayed the car to the public at full speed, celebrating 25 years since the carâ€™s historic win at the British Grand Prix.

“It is amazing to have the solid support of Surrenden Invest behind me, I am looking forward to what the future has to hold for myself and the Surrenden team.”